Anatomical information can be obtained through the use of a variety of imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT), computed axial tomography (CAT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These and other imaging modalities obtain substantial amounts of imaging data corresponding to numerous slices through a region of a patient's body. The imaging data can allows for construction of a three-dimensional volumetric data set representing the various structures in a given area of a patient's body subject to the scan. Existing techniques can be utilized for rendering a two- or three-dimensional volume of the anatomical structures, such that arbitrary points or regions of interest can be viewed. The information from the scans can thus be analyzed as part of a diagnosis to determine an appropriate course of treatment.
One particular application of such imaging data is to examine tubular internal body structures, such as the aorta, colon, and the like, for procedural planning purposes. The planning can include preparation for repair or reconstruction of such structures. An integral part of such planning typically involves a determination of sizing and geometry of internal tubular structures based on the imaging data acquired for a given patient. Currently, sizing of many support structures (e.g., vascular endografts) is a labor-intensive process with the potential to be error-prone. For instance, many existing measurement techniques, tend to be imprecise, are frequently difficult to reproduce, and require a great amount of user interaction. Another weakness of many existing approaches is that there is no analytical definition of the geometry and topology of the patient's anatomy. Many advances have occurred in image analysis; however, these advances have generally permitted the application of endovascular repair to more complex anatomy rather than simplifying the process.
As an example, a proper sizing requires a skilled operator to use a sophisticated imaging workstation for making all the necessary measurements. The results of many existing approaches thus depend, largely, on the judgment and care of the user and, thus, may vary from application to application. Existing methods measure the vascular diameters in the acquired 2D slices. However, the orientation of these slices is not necessarily orthogonal to the tube-like structure under measurement. This limitation can cause inaccurate diameter and length measurements.